The main question about the budget going forward is the use of money from the Joint Underwriting Association, a fund created by the state 25 years ago to offer lower cost malpractice insurance to doctors. The use of this money is being challenged in court. Without it, the budget will be thrown into a very large tailspin. Dorgan reports the Governor is confident the use of the money will stand in court. He was advised by the Attorney General's office that it would. Representative Dan Eaton (D-Stoddard), who noted the budget is out of the legislature's hands right now, echoed this:
"The proposal to use JUA money was researched in depth at the attorney general's office at the request of the governor, and the attorney general felt that the state was on very solid footing," he said. "And I would have to yield to the legal expertise of the attorney general in that area."
Things may be getting testy up in Concord, with Ayotte thinking about a US Senate run, encouraged presumably by Judd Gregg, among others. Dean's reported on the fact that if Ayotte runs, she may have broken an agreement with the Governor. If her office's legal advice imperils the state budget, that will not bode well for her, either.
While Bass and Lamontagne are mulling runs on the GOP side, Fred Tausch is already spending $100k on what Dorgan calls "campaign-like" advertising. Dorgan noted this is unusual, so look for other interesting campaigning from Mr. Tausch. More advertising news from Dorgan: The anti marriage equality folks, forever deriding the "San Francisco Agenda" hired an ad agency from San Francisco to provide content for their $45,000 ad buy on WMUR.
On the well funded pro gambling group FixItNow:
Charle Rolecek, the owner of the Bedford steak house C.R. Sparks, is listed as the group's chairman in papers filed with WMUR when the group bought political ads. Jon Ferrell is the agent.
The address listed as the headquarters appears to be the home of Scott Spradling.
Dorgan mentions the Giunta barroom brawl incident, also covered here on BH. Fahey doesn't.
But Fahey does tell us that Jay Phinizy, former State Rep and candidate for State Senate, has been named state executive director for the Farm Service Agency of the Department of Agriculture. Jay was chair of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee from 2006-2008.
The medical marijuana bill is still in limbo. Governor Lynch has not signed, nor vetoed it. The big sticking point, according to Fahey, is the distribution. This should be decided one way or the other this week.
Fahey's column also features a laundry list of bills that didn't make it, among them transgendered rights (which the right framed in an untruthful, immature, cartoonish way), mandatory seatbelts, a four year term for Governor, and many others that didn't make it into the column. Super-wonks (or very bored people) can peruse all the bills here.
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